Time Exchange
by Pipsqueak Alchemist
Summary: In modern day Amestris, alchemy is nothing but legend. After the death of their father, siblings Edward and Harley find a silver pocket watch and old books with descriptions of actual alchemy hidden in his study. They accidentally bring Ed, Al, Team Mustang, and the Homunculi from 1915 to their time. Now they have to bring back what the Fuhrer tried to make everyone forget.
1. Prologue

**Title: Time Exchange**

**Summary: In modern day Amestris, alchemy is nothing but legend. After the death of their father, siblings Edward and Harley find a silver pocket watch and old books with descriptions of actual alchemy hidden in his study. After accidentally bringing Ed, Al, Team Mustang, and (unfortunately) the Homunculi from 1915 to their time, they have a lot to do . . . specifically, bringing back the alchemy that the Fuhrer tried so hard to make disappear.**

**Warnings: Other than the typical language and violence that is FMA, there will be a few OCs, modern technology, and time travel. ****Takes place in 2013 Amestris, and the Promised Day hasn't happened yet for the canon characters.**

* * *

_**~Time Exchange~**_

**Prologue**

* * *

The study was dimly lit by the fireplace behind her, casting dark shadows across the dusty items strewn above the study as Harley went through the bookcase on the opposite wall. Her fingers traced over the spine of each book as she recognized the titles, remembering each and every book she had read sprawled on the floor while her father worked on his novels and other things at his desk.

A pang of nostalgia ran through her, and Harley almost felt like crying again. She was still in her own house, but it would never actually be home again without her father, especially now that she and her brother were being forced to move out because they couldn't afford the expenses.

A head of gold hair poked into the room from the door. "Harls," came the exasperated sigh of her name. "It's one in the morning. What are you doing?"

Harley turned to face her brother. At eighteen, Edward should have been preparing to go to the medical university that he had been talking about since he was her age. Even if he was offered the full scholarship that he had applied for just a few days before his father's death, he now wouldn't be able to handle going to school full time as well working to make sure Harley had what she needed for school and cared for properly. He would have to hold off on his dream of becoming a doctor for a while.

Anger welled up inside her chest. Why had her father died so suddenly and left them on their own? Edward could have gone to college in Central and Harley could have continued to go to school in Resembool, and both Elric siblings would be happy.

A flash of guilt hit her next. It was selfish to blame her dad, even though she was the only reason Edward was unable to go to college until she could be on her own. At fifteen, Harley was certain that she wouldn't possibly be able to take care of herself after being taken care of her entire life.

She turned back to the bookshelf, her back to her brother. "Reminiscing," she responded hollowly.

Edward sighed again, opening the study door further and crossing the room in a few strides to stand next to her. "You need to get some sleep, Harley," he said. "I know this has been hard on you - on both of us - but we can't let ourselves get caught up in grief. We have to take care of ourselves, you know."

Harley didn't look up at her brother, even though his hand was on her head and ruffling her hair, which she normally would scowl at and then exaggeratedly push away. "I know," she responded instead, her voice just as flat and devoid of emotion as before. "I'll go to bed soon, Eddie. I promise."

Edward hesitated in his response, and Harley could tell that he was thinking of the best way to get her to sleep sooner rather than later. He was still getting used to the role of guardian to go with older brother as well. "Ten minutes, Harls," he warned, ruffling her hair again before approaching the door. "I mean it!" he called, shutting it quietly behind him.

"Okay," Harley said quietly, knowing that her brother would no longer hear her. She glanced over at the cardboard boxes on the other side of the room, and decided she might as well start packing what she could. She knew for a fact that she and Edward would never get rid of their father's books, no matter the circumstances.

She flipped through each book before carefully placing them into the boxes. There were hardly any pictures unless she went flipping through one of the many science books her father owned, and she casually flipped through those the longest, remembering when she would sit on her father's knee at his desk and he would explain things to her, even though she was too young to actually understand most of what he was saying.

The next book she pulled from the shelf was plain leather, with no title. There was a weird symbol on the front, though, and Harley had never seen it outside of fairy tale books. With a frown, she flipped through the first few pages, seeing a word only associated with myths and legends: alchemy.

A piece of paper floated to the floor as Harley flipped through the book, and she stooped to pick it up. There were a few numbers on it, and Harley frowned, looking back at the book. There was a note in the margin that the paper had come from, talking about a safe behind a bookcase.

Looking quizzically at the bookcase, Harley decided it was worth a shot, if only to satisfy her own curiosity. She carefully set the rest of the books on the floor beside the boxes, and gripped the sides of the bookcase, carefully pushing it aside. It scraped against the floor, quite loudly, at that, and Harley knew she only had a few moments before Edward would be coming to check on her.

It was there. The door to the safe that had been mentioned in the book was right there on the wall, and Harley still had the combination on the piece of paper in her hand. She reached for the lock, intent on seeing what was in it, especially since the combination had been found in a book about alchemy, of all things.

The door opened behind her, and Edward barged in. "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded. "Harley, it's late! You should be -" He suddenly cut off, staring at the safe as well.

Harley turned to face him, the fire on the other side reflecting in gold eyes that mirrored Edward's. "Did you know about this?" she asked curiously.

Edward frowned, shaking his head. "No, I didn't." He came to stand at her side. "We won't worry about it now, though," he said, his voice gentle now as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sleep first, safe later."

* * *

It was four in the morning when Harley sneaked out of her bed and trudged quietly back to her father's study. The fire in the fireplace had been extinguished, and the room was cool because of the winter temperatures. Resembool hardly got below forty degrees during the winter, but the lack of warmth was enough to make Harley shudder and pull her sweater around her shoulders tighter.

Her steps were nearly silent as she slid across the room in her socks, flipping on the overhead light on her father's desk and then approaching the safe. She took a glance at the numbers on the piece of paper in her hand, reaching for the lock and entering the combination.

With a soft click, the door swung open, revealing even more books behind it's steel door. On top of the books sat a silver pocket watch, and when Harley reached for it, the metal was cool to the touch. The symbol on the front was the one on the Amestrian flag, and when she tried to open it, it wouldn't budge. Her fingers traced over the design and the knobs on the outside before she slipped it into her pocket for later examination.

Harley went to her father's desk, retrieving the flashlight which laid among chalk, paper, and pens. She went back to the safe, turning on the flashlight and examining the titles on the dusty leather books. Each one had something to do with alchemy, but her eye caught on one in particular.

_The Forbidden Exchange: Human Transmutation_.

* * *

For the next several hours, Harley poured over every book, memorizing as much as she could about alchemy. After attempting to read the book on human transmutation, which gave details to bring someone back from the dead, Harley knew that she would have to learn everything else first.

Later that morning at around nine, Edward poked his head into the room with a frown. His hair was mussed and sticking in different angles, and there were dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep combined with the stress of everything he had to do today and for the next several days.

"How long have you been up?" he asked suspiciously, taking note of the determined expression on his sister's tired face.

"A while," Harley replied vaguely.

Edward wasn't going to fall for that; with his intelligence, he rarely fell for anything. "How long is a while?" he asked suspiciously, quirking a brow.

"An hour or so," Harley lied smoothly.

"I call bullshit, Harls," he said, leaning against the doorway. He glanced over at the safe, which was open. "Curiosity got to you, eh?" He crossed the room and crouched beside her, where she was reading the alchemy books. Gold eyes scanned over the titles of the books, genuine intrigue written across Edward's features.

"Alchemy," he murmured, picking up one of the books and flipping through the first few pages. "As an actual science. That's new."

"Apparently not," Harley responded. "That book you're holding talks about it as if it were real, and has details of experiments with alchemy that actually work, like turning lead to gold for a short while, and so on."

"Interesting," Edward responded. "You do know that this isn't real, right?"

"You sure about that?" Harley picked up a piece of chalk from the floor beside her, where she had placed it after reading that it was essential for performing alchemy. She copied a quick transmutation circle on the floor, and focused like the book said, and clapped her hands before placing them on the circle.

Sparks of blue crackled through the air, and Edward jumped back, eyes wide in awe and slight fear. When the sparks cleared, Harley was left sitting in front of a dent on the floor, a wooden figurine of a dog sitting in her palm.

"See?" She grinned at Edward, who was still staring in shock. "Maybe it's not a total fantasy."

"This can't be real," Edward said. "I'm dreaming. I'm going to wake up and this will all have been my imagination."

Harley frowned, and then chucked the figurine at his head. "Ow!" Edward yelped just as Harley said, "Did'ya wake up yet?"

"You don't have to be so rude about it, you know," Edward grumbled, rubbing at the sore spot on his head now. "But, alchemy . . . wow. It's supposed to be just a myth."

"Well, obviously it isn't. Maybe all the loons that claim to have witnessed it aren't so loony after all," Harley murmured, grabbing the human transmutation book and holding it out to Edward, who took it and surveyed it in silence. "According to that, it may be possible for us to bring Dad back."

Edward looked up as if he'd been slapped. "No."

Harley blinked, thinking she hadn't heard him correctly. "No?"

"No," Edward repeated firmly. "Dad is dead. The dead should remain dead, Harls. There has to be some sort of ramification for trying to bring him back, and you know that. Everyone that has ever heard of alchemy knows that there was an equivalent exchange law, so whatever you do to bring Dad back, something will be taken."

"Yeah? That's a risk I'm willing to take."

"But _I'm_ not," Edward snapped heatedly. "In legends and myths those that perform human transmutation have essential things taken from them, and you know it! People lose limbs, organs, and even their lives, and it never even worked successfully! I'm_ not_ okay with that happening to you."

"But Ed -"

"No!" Edward yelled. The room went silent, and Harley stared at her brother in shock. She was the one with the short temper, the one that always yelled; not Edward. He was supposed to be the calm, level-minded one, and she could count on one hand the number of times he had yelled before. "You are not performing human transmutation to bring Dad back! He's dead and he should remain that way! You're not supposed to risk going to join him on the off chance that human transmutation works."

"But I can do this!" Harley protested. "See?" She grabbed the book still clenched tightly in Edward's hand, flipping to a page she had bookmarked earlier. "Dad improved the array, and he even wrote in the margin that he might have possibly found the solution! I _need_ to try this, Ed!"

Her brother wouldn't even look at her. "Is it really worth it, Harls?" he asked quietly, staring down at his hands, his expression shadowed by his hair. "If you die because you fail, I'll be on my own. I'm supposed to take care of you, Harls, and you're supposed to let me, not the other way around."

Harley stared, shocked. Yelling was not something Edward did often, but admitting what he was thinking and feeling was even rarer. "Ed . . ."

Edward stood from where he was crouching and stormed out of the room, the door slamming behind him.

* * *

Edward dutifully made sure that all of their meals were prepared, but he never once said anything to Harley as they sat down to eat, no matter how many times she tried to initiate conversation. He'd talk to her when he was ready.

After dinner, long after the the sun had disappeared behind the hills and darkness had fallen over Resembool, Harley decided that it was time to act.

The circle was huge, and Harley checked every symbol twice just to make sure that she wouldn't screw up. She made a few quiet trips to the kitchen to gather some of the necessary ingredients, and gathered the rest of what she would need from her father's study.

Soon enough, everything was in place, and Harley was ready to begin. She folded the papers that she had been practicing arrays on and stuffed them into her pocket, kneeled in front of the circle, and clapped her hands.

* * *

Edward woke with a jolt upon hearing the loud crackle of electricity coming from down the hall.

Despite the fact that he had been exhausted before bed, Edward was immediately awake at the familiar sound that was no doubt coming from his father's study. He leaped to his feet and ran down the hall, barging into the study, which was alight with sparks of blue.

"Harley!" he screeched, reaching for his sister.

There was an explosion, and Edward knew no more.

* * *

Harley was knocked to the floor in the explosion. She was sure that she had heard her brother, but she curled up on her side in an attempt to lessen the pain that wracked her entire body.

The smoke began to clear, and Harley slowly sat up, staring at the new occupants in the study.

"What the hell?!" she screeched, scrambling backwards until her back hit the wall, eyes wide as the people in front of her stirred.

The young man with dark hair and even darker hair sat up first, his hand against his temple. His eyes darted around the room before focusing on Harley. The young teen gaped, eyes focused mainly on the symbol on his gloves.

"You - you can do flame alchemy?" she asked quietly.

The man stood, his shoulders stiff and back straight. He was wearing a military uniform, an older version of the one that Amestris currently had. His companions were climbing to their feet moments after he was, groaning and grumbling.

"Colonel, what the hell?" the shortest one snapped. Harley stared at the younger version of her brother, convinced that she had hit her head while performing the transmutation and this was her newest hellish nightmare.

"I could ask the same, Fullmetal," the colonel responded, his eyes never leaving Harley. The other occupants of the room - was that a suit of armor?! - had turned to face her as well. "Is there, perhaps, a sibling that you never mentioned before?"

The short boy that was identified as Fullmetal gaped. "No . . ." He narrowed his eyes at Harley. "Who are you?"

"Um." Harley wished she could sink through the cracks that were now all over the wooden floor. She scanned the room, looking for her brother. She was sure she had heard his voice while she was doing the transmutation. "Edward?" she called, getting to her feet and starting for the door. It was open, but she specifically remembered closing it earlier.

Fingers wrapped around her wrist and pulled her back before she had a chance to go through the open door. "Who are you calling for?" the dark haired colonel demanded, spinning her around to face him.

"My - my brother, Edward," she squeaked out. "I thought he was in here . . ."

He stared at her, dark eyes narrowed in thought. "What's your name, kid?"

"Harley. Harley Elric."

There were a few gasps from the other people gathered at the center of the room. "I wasn't aware you had other family," the blonde woman with brown eyes murmured, directing her statement at the short boy and the suit of armor.

"We don't," Fullmetal responded, his eyes narrowed at Harley as well.

"She looks an awful lot like you," the man with the cigarette hanging out of his mouth observed. "And she's got the same last name."

A thought crossed Harley's mind. "Um, what year is it?" she asked quietly.

"Why?" Fullmetal asked suspiciously.

"1915," the suit of armor said. Harley jolted, not expecting the voice at all, much less expecting it to sound so childlike and soft.

"Um. It's 2013," Harley responded carefully. "I think . . . I think I accidentally discovered time travel."

* * *

**Well, that's it! I'd love it if you'd review, give me your thoughts and opinions, or suggest ways to make it better to keep your interest. Thanks for taking the time to read. :)**

**~Blaze**


	2. Chapter 1

**Title: Time Exchange**

**Summary: In modern day Amestris, alchemy is nothing but legend. After the death of their father, siblings Edward and Harley find a silver pocket watch and old books with descriptions of actual alchemy hidden in his study. After accidentally bringing Ed, Al, Team Mustang, and (unfortunately) the Homunculi from 1915 to their time, they have a lot to do . . . specifically, bringing back the alchemy that the Fuhrer tried so hard to make disappear.**

**Warnings: Other than the typical language and violence that is FMA, there will be a few OCs, modern technology, and time travel. ****Takes place in 2013 Amestris, and the Promised Day hasn't happened yet for the canon characters. Liberties taken so events the place in the anime is never revealed.  
**

**Author's Note: Thanks for all the support guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

_**~Time Exchange~**_

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Waking with his hands tied behind his back and rope across his chest binding him to someone else wasn't what Edward Elric III had exactly expected_ ever_, and he certainly didn't expect that he'd hear bickering if a situation such as this ever arose.

"I bet you the Fullmetal Pipsqueak over there has something to do with this, Lust!" a scratchy, gravelly voice was protesting loudly. "Why else would we randomly appear in this rundown shithole of a warehouse with _him_, of all people?"

"Calm yourself, Envy," a sultry voice purred in response. "We'll get our answers soon enough."

"I believe that we may have the wrong person," a new voice piped up, this one calm and collected, but oddly scary and dangerous, too. "He's too tall. He lacks automail. And his hair is short. He isn't Edward Elric."

Edward kept his head slumped forward with his chin resting against his chest, his heart beat loud in his ears. The person he was bound to moved as they barked out a laugh. "How long did it take you to deduce that, Wrath? If the kid was Ed then I'd be kicking your asses by now. Speaking of which, ganging up on me wasn't all that fair. Let's try one-on-one next time!"

"Greed," a smaller, echoing voice admonished with a sigh, "You stand no chance against one of us and you know that."

"Can I eat him?" a nasally voice asked excitedly.

"Maybe later, Gluttony," Lust responded bemusedly.

"Forget this, I'm getting tired of waiting on the pipsqueak!" the original scratchy voice that the sultry one, Lust, had called Envy. "Wake up!" A sharp kick was delivered to Edward's side, and he yelped, trying to curl in on himself further.

"Oi, man up, kid!" Greed, the one he was bound to, hissed. Greed twisted, trying to pull Edward away from Envy. The effort was wasted as Envy smirked and placed his foot on Greed's leg to keep him from moving.

Edward finally looked up into the faces of his captors, gold eyes wide with disbelief as he looked at each one of them. "What the hell?"

"What the hell is right," Greed grumbled. Edward twisted his head over his shoulder, seeing the side of a pale face with slanted eyes, dark bangs falling across his forehead.

"So." The only one in military clothes - clothes that looked like an older model from the modern military uniform, really - stepped forward. "Would you care to tell us your name?"

"Depends," Edward murmured. "Would you care to tell me why it is I'm here?"

The man chuckled, his one eye crinkling with amusement, the other covered by an eye patch. "You may look alike and have the same cheekiness, but you sound nothing like Fullmetal." His amusement quickly faded into something more sinister, a sneer marring his wrinkled features. "You don't get to _ask_ questions, kid," he said firmly. "You will _answer_ our questions."

"I don't think I want to," Edward responded without a second thought, nearly regretting it a second later when the weird one with greenish, dread-style hair kicked him in the side again.

"Trust me, Pipsqueak, you'll think again," he hummed with a devilish grin. "We can be quite persuasive."

"Man, you guys are major creeps," Greed grumbled. "Listen, kid," he said, addressing Edward this time. "Hold in what you can."

"I have no clue what's going on," Edward groaned. "Who are you people?"

He went ignored by those that surrounded him. The only woman - and, holy shit, she was definitely one of the hottest girls Edward had ever seen - moved toward him with a sultry smile on her face. "Like Wrath said, we're the ones asking questions, not you, dear." Edward nearly jumped out of his skin when the nails became talons nearly as long as her forearm. She caressed his face, and he barely resisted the urge to move for fear of being cut. "Now why don't you cooperate, hm?"

Edward didn't notice that he had been given a thin cut across his cheek until Lust had turned away and he felt the blood dripping down his cheek to his chin. He said nothing, staring around the dark, dusty warehouse for any means of escape.

"Stop scoping the place, kid," Greed hissed. "I got us covered." Envy landed a punch across his jaw, and Greed's head snapped around.

A little kid, no older than six or seven, quietly slid up to him. His dark blue eyes were vacant, and his voice echoed as he spoke. "You obviously have some relation to Edward Elric. Wouldn't you agree, Wrath?" The kid cast a glance back at the military office.

"I believe you're right, Pride," Wrath hummed in agreement. He looked at Edward. "Do you have anything to say to that, son?"

Edward gulped, but chose not to speak. Much like he had to Greed, Envy punched him across the jaw, sneering at him to answer.

"It's, uh, it's my name," Edward responded. "Edward Elric."

"I see." Wrath stood in front of him regally, his hands folded behind his back. "So, _Edward Elric_, what can you tell us about our location? We took a glance outside earlier. It doesn't seem like we are in Amestris."

"Uh, last I checked that's where I was," Edward responded, his irritation slowly building. "But, y'know, _I'm_ the one kidnapped and tied to a complete stranger, so why don't you tell me?"

Wrath chuckled at that. "We didn't kidnap you, Mr. Elric," he responded smoothly. "We all appeared here in a puff of smoke from entirely different locations, and once the smoke cleared, there was us, and then there was you."

Edward narrowed his eyes in thought, thinking back to his last cautious moment. He remembered being at home with Harley, and being mad at her - which was very shocking, as he was rarely ever angry. He remembered the alchemy books, and how she had learned how to use the supposedly mythical art, and mentioned that she wanted to bring their father back. He then remembered going to sleep, waking to the sound of crackling energy, barging into the study, Harley, the smoke, and -

Oh. Well, that explained a whole lot.

Knowing that it probably wasn't wise to say anything, Edward remained silent.

"Mr. Elric," Wrath continued. "Where were you before you happened to wake up here?"

Edward didn't respond. For his trouble, Envy kicked not once, not twice, but three times in the side. He yelled upon hearing a crack, swearing at the sharp pain racing through his entire body.

"Kid, just tell the bastard and save yourself the trouble, it can't have been that important!" Greed snapped, squirming behind him.

"No," Edward hissed breathlessly, resisting the urge to cry at the intense pain that he had never felt so much of before. "Can't."

"What's so important about where you were that you can't tell us?" Pride wondered. One of the weird black hands that was floating around him reached out, running over his face before sliding down his shoulder and to his side, prodding at the broken ribs that resided there. Edward groaned in pain, but still refused to talk.

"Kid," Greed warned.

"Home," Edward gasped out. "I was at home."

And at that moment, Edward wanted nothing more than to escape these weird, psychotic freaks and return to Resembool so he could properly lecture and reconcile with Harley.

"Which is where?" Lust asked.

"Where the heart is, bitch," Edward snapped without thinking. Envy socked him in the face in the same spot as before, and Edward could already feel the bruise forming as his skin throbbed.

"My, my, you certainly are like Fullmetal," Lust purred, running a hand gently over his hair. Edward tensed, knowing that the fingers running through his hair could turn into a deadly weapon at any moment. "That leads me to assume . . . Tell me, Edward, do you have any siblings?"

Edward hoped that he would show no reaction, but his muscles impulsively tensed, giving Lust all the answer she needed. With a delighted chuckle, she continued to run her fingers through his short strands "So you _do_. That's why you don't want to tell us where you live, I suppose. I can understand that. Anyway, I'm guessing _younger_ sibling, with how defensive you are all of a sudden. Brother or sister?"

"Ugh, you're another one of_ those_ types." Greed sighed exasperatedly. "The 'you can beat the shit out of me but touch my family and I freak out' types."

"So it would seem," Wrath agreed sagely. "Fortunately for us, we know how to get to those types."

Edward really didn't want to think about what the smile he was receiving from Wrath truly meant.

* * *

It took nearly twenty minutes for the short one - Edward, Fullmetal, pipsqueak, whatever the hell his name was - to stop spazzing. While the other people that had suddenly appeared in the study were very hesitant about accepting the idea of being in 2013, Ed flat-out refused to accept the fact that he was no longer in 1915.

"Time travel is impossible!" he screeched for what Harley counted as the third time now. "It - It defies the laws of equivalent exchange and it's just - not possible!"

"Well, obviously, it is," Harley responded heatedly for what must have been the tenth time. "Shut the hell up and let me think, will you? My brother is missing and you're a short idiot and -"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT YOU COULD FIT HIM IN YOUR POCKET, MICROSCOPIC PIPSQUEAK?!"

Harley was immediately fuming. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MICROSCOPIC PIPSQUEAK THAT COULD BE BLOWN OVER WITH A LIGHT BREEZE YOU ASSHOLE?!"

"They are definitely related," Havoc, the blond guy with the cigarette dangling from his lips responded from where he was lazing about on the couch in the living room that Harley had convinced everyone to relocate to.

"I can tell," Colonel Mustang responded, sounding quite amused. "They're both quite tiny."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BEANSPROUT YOU JACKASS?!" both Elrics screamed, turning to face the amused Flame Alchemist.

"Uh, sir," Fuery said nervously, "I don't think antagonizing two short-tempered Elrics at the same time is a good idea -"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHORTER THAN THEIR TEMPER?!"

"I - I didn't say that!" Fuery protested, trying to hide behind Breda, who just scoffed at the entire scene.

"Brother," Alphonse, the calm gentle-giant suit of armor said, "She's our relative. Be nice."

"No, she's _not_ related to us because time travel is _impossible_!" Ed protested. "The homunculi probably tracked down another kid with ties to Xerxes and are plotting to use her to lure us into a false sense of security so they can strike!"

Harley felt her anger dissipate quickly. "Homunuli?" she asked curiously, gold eyes brightening at the thought. "Men created by alchemists, right?"

"Sheesh, how clueless are you?" Ed grumbled.

Harley sneered. "For someone that only learned about the actual existence of alchemy yesterday, I'd say I have an excuse!"

Hawkeye, the calmest of the entire group and Harley's personal favorite, frowned at this statement. "Why didn't you believe in the existence of alchemy?" she asked quietly.

"Uh, because it's been nothing but a myth for years," Harley responded. "Until, suddenly, it wasn't. My dad had all of these alchemic books in this hidden safe and I followed the instructions and I could do it!"

"How did alchemy become a myth?" Falman asked with a frown. "Where we're from everyone knows about alchemy."

"Well, Dad always used to talk about it like it was real, but Edward and I always thought it was just for our bedtime stories," Harley said quietly. "Turns out it wasn't, I guess."

"Tell us a little about this time period," Mustang said, leaning forward on the couch to look at Harley. "Who's the current Fuhrer, and the one before him?"

"The sixth Fuhrer was Grumman, but he died during his tenth year of service," Harley listed off. "And then there was Roy Mustang - you, I'm guessing."

"So I _do_ become Fuhrer," Mustang said smugly, a haughty smirk in place on his face. "And? Tell me about it!"

"You weren't, um, like any of the other Fuhrers," Harley said after a moment. "You brought democracy to Amestris and gave Ishval back to the people, which definitely helped in your popularity, especially since as a democracy, every five years there is a vote for Fuhrer. You won the two times you ran."

"Only two times?" Mustang asked with a frown.

"You were, um, assassinated before the third election," Harley said quietly.

Silence resonated around the entire room, and tension was obviously high. "And where was I?" Hawkeye asked sharply. "Or any of us, for that matter?"

"I - I don't know, actually," Harley murmured, frowning. "We never really went over it in school, and no one knows the details. It's kind of been a buried topic."

"Alright," Mustang said tensely after a moment, his fingers curled into fists on his knees. "Who is the current Fuhrer?"

"Um, he was only in his early thirties when he ran, but the Fuhrer has won all the elections since. His name is Selim Bradley."

Silence hung over the room again, the tension rising even further before Ed let out a mirthless laugh. "That explains so much," he said, sighing bitterly. "Seeing as he's a homunculus."

Harley gaped. "No way!" she gasped. "I mean - wow. A homunulus? Oh my gosh!"

"That might also explain why you know nothing of the colonel's assassination," Al remarked. "Or alchemy. I guess Selim was trying to cover up things that could potentially overpower him or get him kicked out of office."

"Hey, kid," Havoc said, nudging Harley's shoulder from where he sat beside her. "How did your old man die?"

Harley's mind blanked, a wave of sadness creeping over her. The subject of her father's death was still new and off limits for most that asked, but with the way their conversation was going, Havoc had to have a reason for asking. "He was in Central for some sort of research. I don't know much about the details, but apparently there was an explosion -"

"He was killed off on purpose," Mustang interrupted. "For knowing about the legitimacy of alchemy, I suppose."

The silver pocket watch still in Harley's jeans pocket felt heavier than before, and her fingers traced over the circle that it created against the rough fabric. "Yeah, I guess," she murmured quietly.

Ed quirked a brow at her actions. "Whatcha got there?"

Harley silently withdrew the pocket watch, and held it up so that everyone could see it. "It was with my father's alchemy books. I think it's a pocket watch, but it's been sealed for some reason."

Ed reached out for it, and Harley warily handed it over. He clapped his hands together, and in no time, he was opening the watch, the knuckles of his flesh hand going white with how hard he was gripping it. "Maybe you're telling the truth about the whole time travel thing," he muttered, tossing it back to her.

_3 Oct 11_ was carved onto the inside, and Harley looked over at Ed once more, noting the dejected expression on his face. "So this watch is yours, then?"

"Yeah."

A heavy silence fell over everyone in the room, and Harley took a moment to reflect on how weird the situation was. The seventh Fuhrer was sitting on her couch with the best sniper that Amestris had ever seen, a suit of armor and his alchemic genius of a brother were possibly related to her, her older brother was missing, and homunculi existed - and worse, one was even the current Fuhrer.

"This is so messed up," Harley muttered, stuffing the watch back into her pocket. She stood, all eyes in the room focused on her. "Okay, what's our plan of action?"

"Well, our ultimate goal is to return to our own time, obviously," Mustang said. "But since we're here until you can figure out how you accomplished time travel in the first place, we might as well get Selim Bradley out of office."

"And bring back alchemy," Ed added.

"Could we possibly search for my brother first?" Harley murmured, waving her hand slightly. "That's kind of an important goal, you know."

"Well, do you have any idea where he could possibly be?" Hawkeye inquired.

"If I knew where he was I wouldn't say we need to search for him, ma'am," Harley responded. "He was in the room with me when I did the transmutation. Is it possible that he took your place in the past?"

"Maybe he got sucked into the Gate," Ed suggested grimly.

"I don't think so," Harley murmured. "I didn't see the Gate, or the weird tendrily-hands that were described in one of my dad's books. It's not likely that he's on the other side of the Gate."

"So let's assume for right now that he's still in this time period," Falman suggested. "Where could he possibly have gone?"

"I have no clue," Harley murmured. "I just hope he's okay."

* * *

In the ruins of the Third Laboratory, the part of Edward's thought process that wasn't dominated by pain vowed that he would never tell the homunculi anything to do with his sister, even if it killed him.

* * *

**And that's chapter 1! Thanks for all the support from everyone so far, I really appreciate it. :) **

**I apologize for all the mistakes. A friend of mine that reads over everything before I post it is out of town, so this is self-beta'd, and I'm terrible at catching my own mistakes, but I did try at least. If you see anything wrong please don't hesitate to point it out so I can fix it.**

**Thanks for reading, everyone! I'd love to hear your feedback!**

**~Blaze**


	3. Chapter 2

**Title: Time Exchange**

**Summary: In modern day Amestris, alchemy is nothing but legend. After the death of their father, siblings Edward and Harley find a silver pocket watch and old books with descriptions of actual alchemy hidden in his study. After accidentally bringing Ed, Al, Team Mustang, and (unfortunately) the Homunculi from 1915 to their time, they have a lot to do . . . specifically, bringing back the alchemy that the Fuhrer tried so hard to make disappear.**

**Warnings: Other than the typical language and violence that is FMA, there will be a few OCs, modern technology, and time travel. ****Takes place in 2013 Amestris, and the Promised Day hasn't happened yet for the canon characters. Liberties taken so events the place in the anime is never revealed.  
**

**Author's Note: Thanks for all the support guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

_**~Time Exchange~**_

**Chapter 2  
**

* * *

Edward wished someone would go too far in torturing him to send him into unconsciousness. He wished for the black oblivion to rid him of pain and worries. If he was out cold, then he wouldn't hurt, and he wouldn't be able to accidentally give information that the crazy people possibly wanted.

Of course, nothing went the way Edward wanted it to. He remained awake through everything, wheezing breaths drawn in unevenly through bloodstained lips and rattling his injured ribs, the small but painful cuts on his body stinging, and some of the even deeper gashes let blood slowly ooze down his skin. It wasn't very comfortable, as one would imagine.

"I dunno what you're trying to do here, kid," Greed said quietly. He and Edward were alone as the others went off to converse quietly on the other side of the warehouse, where they could not be overheard but keep an eye on their captives at the same time.

"Neither do I," Edward muttered, ignoring the way his words were like jagged glass in his throat as they escaped his mouth.

"They're going to kill you," Greed informed him bluntly. Edward knew for sure that he was being completely honest. "Just tell them what they want. The more you tell them, the less you suffer."

"I can't," Edward mumbled, sucking in another pained breath. "If I tell them anything about me, I'll lead them straight to Harley."

"Harley, eh? Sounds like a tough kid there. How old is she?"

"Fifteen."

"In that case, I'm sure she can fend for herself," Greed snorted. "You're no use to her dead, though."

"But she's alone!" Edward protested weakly. "I'm all she's got. If they go looking for her, she stands no chance . . ." He trailed off.

"You know, Fullmetal is fifteen," Greed said. "He's attempted human transmutation, bound a soul to armor, and he's kinda trying to save all of Amestris where I'm from."

"But Harley is just a kid. She doesn't even _know_ much about alchemy." Edward sighed. "I shouldn't be telling you this. For all I know this is some ploy for you to gain my trust and then tell them whatever it is you find out."

"As if I'd be working with those asshats!" Greed spat viciously. "They killed the first version of me, and they definitely won't hesitate to do it again. As far as I can tell, you're my best shot out of here, especially if you're related to Elric. You must have some form of alchemy, right? Something?_ Anything_?"

"No," Edward responded honestly. "My sister is the only one that knows how to use it, but barely. All the world thinks alchemy is a myth. A children's story. The only reason I even remotely know it exists for sure is because Harley used it before I ended up here."

"What do you mean alchemy is nonexistent here? This _is_ Amestris, isn't it? It's particularly known for it's alchemy."

"It's 2013, Greed. Alchemy is just a myth here."

Behind Edward, Greed's muscles tensed. "2013, eh?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah . . . ?" Edward frowned to himself, resisting the urge to wince when his lips burned with pain. "Is there a reason that's a big surprise?"

"Before we appeared here, all of us were in 1915," Greed responded. "Which means we time traveled or something."

Edward cursed under his breath, growling out, "Harley."

Greed whistled, and then chuckled quietly. "That's some sister you've got. Fifteen and the inventor of time travel. Elric better watch out."

"Who is this guy you keep talking about?" Edward wanted to know. "Edward Elric - not me, obviously - and Fullmetal. Who are they?"

"One in the same," Greed responded. "Fullmetal is his state alchemist name. He's short with an even shorter temper, blond, impulsive, a so-called genius - even though he's kind of an idiot sometimes, and the youngest state alchemist ever."

"He sounds a lot like Harley," Edward mused. "So what you're telling me is, you guys are from the past, and brought to the future because my sister screwed up alchemy? This is sounding crazier by the minute!"

"Definitely," Greed confirmed. "But hey, if all of the bastards are here, maybe Ed and Team Mustang are somehow here as well, and if they are, it's likely they're with Harley. Kid's got the advantage."

The lumpy shadow that their bound forms cast suddenly moved, small, sharp creatures with weirdly colored eyes coming to life. Edward jumped in shock, and Greed cursed loudly.

"It seems you've forgotten, Greed," Pride's echoing voice mused as the entire group approached them again. "I can listen to you from the shadows."

"Dammit," Greed grumbled. "Pride, I hate you -"

"Save it, Greed," Lust purred, smirking deviously. "We've got enough to go off for now. Thanks for all your help, hun," she said sweetly, caressing Edward's face again, and chuckling lightly when he flinched back fearfully.

"What exactly are you planning to do?" Edward wanted to know. If Harley was in danger because he had been an idiot, then he would never forgive himself.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Envy piped up, grinning widely. "Tough shit."

"You can begin phase one of the plan, Envy," Wrath instructed. "Find what you can."

"Gotcha." Envy morphed into a regular looking redhead teenage girl right before Edward's eyes, and he seemed to be the only one surprised by this. "See ya later!" he called in a high falsetto voice, waving cheerily at Edward before exiting the warehouse through the rusty looking front door.

Edward slumped in his bonds, hoping that whatever damage he had just caused wouldn't be too great.

* * *

"Okay," Harley said loudly, trying to gain the attention of the entire living room. Ed, Al, and Mustang's team all looked at her as she stood atop the table between the two couches.

"That's not making you much taller, if that's what you were going for," Ed said darkly, grinning like a Cheshire Cat at his descendent.

"I'm currently taller than you, so I would shut up and listen, Pipsqueak," Harley said sweetly, a fake smile on her face to match her tone.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING LITTLE YOU -"

"Hush, Fullmetal," Mustang snapped.

"When she gets off the table she's an inch shorter than you, so don't get your panties in a twist," Havoc said casually.

"I am not shorter than that imbecile!" Harley seethed. "We're the same height!"

"And you're both short," everyone in the room responded in unison. Harley and Ed looked like they were between crying and raging.

"Moving on," Hawkeye said loudly to get the gathered people ready to act accordingly.

"Alright, as I was saying," Harley said, calming down slightly. "If we're going to get Selim Bradley out of office, we're gonna have to head to Central. To alert the public, we can use the radio and television - same goes for alchemy. If we advertise it, do it in front of a couple of crowds, we can generate gossip, remind the people, etc. And along the way, we find my brother." Harley smiled widely, proud of her plan.

"That's a very generic plan," Mustang remarked. "It's easy to map something out, but it's the details we need to focus on."

"So we start on phase one and go from there," Havoc put in.

"It'd be smarter if we tried to get Selim out of office first," Al piped up. "He's the biggest threat. Then again, that would also be the harder part of the plan. It'd be easier to reveal alchemy and alert Amestris of what he is first."

"But he'd still be in power, and have a very good chance of stopping us," Falman pointed out.

"Maybe we should do recon first," Harley suggested. "Like in those spy and cop movies. I've always wanted to be a spy."

". . . You're a bit strange," Breda informed her.

Harley snorted. As if she didn't already know.

"Maybe we should focus on getting to Central first," Falman suggested. "We don't have any money in this time period, and Harley is fifteen. There can't be a ton of money just lying around."

"And that leaves stowing away on a train," Harley said. "Although an airplane would be quicker.

"Airplanes?" everyone questioned at once.

"Forgot they weren't around then," Harley mumbled. Louder, she explained, "They're the fastest form of transportation these days, faster than trains, but they're very different. They fly, as the name implies, and they're powered by an engine."

"Why can't we get on a plane, then?" Ed wanted to know.

"Uh, because plane tickets for all of us would be enough to buy twenty more train tickets, maybe more," Harley responded. "Plane tickets are very expensive."

"So our only option is to stowaway on a train, is what you're saying," Breda said.

"Yeah, that's about right."

"In that case, when does the next train leave for Central?" Mustang asked, his voice taking on an authoritative edge.

"Um, I'd have to check," Harley responded. "Edward and I have never been there, but Dad used to go all the time. I don't know anything about Central other than what I've learned in school or what Dad has told us from his trips, and even that's not very much."

There was a loud knock on the front door at that moment, and Harley nearly jumped out of her skin. "It's probably another one of those people from town I barely know bringing comfort food and stuff because of Dad," she muttered. "Lay low, guys. I'll be right back."

The living room was deadly silent as Harley exited it, making her way to the front foyer. She peeked through the small peep hole, frowning at what she saw. She opened the door, trying to wipe the look of confusion from her face. "May I help you?" she asked monotonously, raising a blonde brow.

The two military officers immediately barged into her house, one of them shoving her against the wall as the other walked right past her. "What are you doing?!" she shrieked, squirming away from the officer holding her. She managed to free herself for a moment before an iron grip locked onto her arms and held her and place, but that didn't stop her from kicking out at the brunet man holding onto her.

The second stood a little off to the side. "Our superiors have detected the use of alchemy in this house," he said, his voice one of the lowest ones she had ever heard.

Harley's eyes widened. "So the military is hiding it's existence, then?"

"That's classified," the one holding onto her said. "Just tell us now if you or anyone in this house has used alchemy, and you may be in less trouble. We're searching your house anyway, but it would be better if you cooperated and answered any questions we might have for you."

"You can't do this without a warrant," Harley said through gritted teeth. "I know my rights. You also can't interrogate a minor without the presence of a parent or guardian, or at the very least an attorney."

The one with the low voice rolled his eyes. "Hold her in place, Colonel. I'll be right back."

He turned, about to go searching through the rest of the house when Mustang suddenly appeared from the living room, looking livid. He looked as if he had sneaked upstairs and gone searching for some civilian clothes in the time that Harley was at the front door, and he appeared to be any normal man with worn jeans and a simple t-shirt.

"What are you doing with my niece?" he barked out angrily. Harley blinked, resisting the urge to laugh. "Her father just died! You're causing her further trauma by putting her through this."

"We're sorry, sir, but we have detected traces of alchemy in this house, and we are to investigate and bring anyone here to Central for interrogation."

Mustang narrowed his eyes, his expression calculating. "Search if you want," he said hollowly.

"What?" Harley nearly shrieked. "What do you mean by that? No!"

"You can search while I talk with my niece in private, if you don't mind," Mustang said. "We can't exactly go anywhere else." With a nod, the officer holding onto Harley released her, and went with his partner to search the house.

"What are you doing?" Harley hissed. "They'll find all of the books! And the transmutation circle!"

"That's the point," Mustang said back, his voice hushed. "They're taking us to Central. That's where we want to go, right?"

"Yeah, but not in handcuffs!" Harley snapped. "Because of social media everyone will know our faces by tomorrow morning!"

"Can you think of a better way?" Mustang argued quietly. "Through this way we can get directly to Central Command. We'll be right there with Selim Bradley. We're practically being invited to the enemies lair. It works."

"But - we're still at a disadvantage!" Harley tried to argue back. "Even you must see that!"

Mustang smirked. "Don't underestimate my team, or the Elrics. Trust me when I tell you, we've still got the upper hand."

Harley frowned, but relented. She really hoped Mustang was right.

* * *

Within the hour, the entirety of Team Mustang and the Elrics had been rallied together in the living room once more. Fuery, Hawkeye, Falman, Breda, and Havoc had done the same as Mustang and sneaked upstairs to change into civilian clothing before dumping their uniforms into Al's hollow suit of armor to avoid being caught. Ed and Al remained the same, of course.

"Al," Harley said quietly. "If you go into my brother's room - you'll know when you look, trust me - there's a small rectangular device on his bedside table connected with a wire charger to a plug on the wall. Take the charger and the device. It's how we'll contact each other."

"Okay," he said quietly, not moving or giving any indication that he was alive. "I'll follow you to the train when they take you there."

The plan had been formed in less than two minutes. Everyone would be taken to Central as fugitives, leaving Al behind to follow if anything went wrong. Until everyone was out of the house he would be acting as inanimate as everyone else outside of the room assumed him to be.

"Hey, you," one of the military officers barked, entering the living room and pointing at me. "Are you the one that performed alchemy?"

Harley opened her mouth to respond, but someone cut in before she could.

"It was me, sir," Fuery piped up. "I was the one using alchemy."

"In that case . . ." The man was quickly in front of Fuery, snapping a thin metal band around his neck. The young man frowned, touching the circle around his neck.

"What is this?" he asked curiously.

"It prevents the use of alchemy," the officer responded, smiling smugly. "You won't be using your alchemy any time soon. If you try to, it will only hurt you."

The tension in the room intensified at that moment. If there was a way to prevent the use of alchemy with the weird band around Fuery's neck, then Harley, Mustang, Al, and Ed were in some deep shit.

* * *

Envy returned almost two hours later, a smug smirk on the face of the girl he was impersonating. He went right up to the homunculi and turned back into himself, still looking smug.

"Well, Pride," he said, "I didn't know you wanted to be Fuhrer."

Pride narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You're Fuhrer in this time," Envy said with a grin. "And . . ." He cast a smirk over at Edward. "I impersonated a soldier and listened in on a classified conversation. It seems that someone in Resembool used alchemy that was detected on a radar. Guess who is among the fugitives that are being brought in for interrogation?"

Edward realized where the conversation was going a moment too late, and by then, he felt like throwing up.

"It seems that little Harley Elric is coming to Central!"

* * *

**All of you that have taken the time to read and review this story are amazing! And so are the followers! I didn't think this would get much attention but 14 reviews and 21 follows is pretty good for only two chapters, and my first actual story in the FMA fandom. Thanks guys!**

**The idiota Canadian Nera has returned, so this isn't self-beta'd again, but still, if you see any mistakes, don't hesitate to tell me. :)**

**~Blaze**


End file.
